It’s interesting that Scott mentioned my quote about
preferring games that revolve “around what you do, not how you do it” in regard
to DMC3 because I think this is one
of the rare times when my usual stance doesn’t apply. Frequent readers of the
site will know that I have no love of this series, and I’d say that the
original Devil May Cry is one of the
most overrated games in recent memory, its numerous flaws and rough edges
granted a complete “pass” by fans the world over. However, after playing
through Dante’s Awakening, I think I
can finally see what people like about this series… though I would argue that
it wasn’t really there until now.

Before going further, my second opinion is based on the
Special Edition of DMC3, released
domestically under the PlayStation Greatest Hits banner. There are a number of
differences between this version and the version that Scott reviewed such as a
new boss encounter, the ability to play as Dante’s twin brother Vergil, and a
bonus mode with a 100-floor dungeon. However, all of those things pale compared
to the most significant addition: adjustments to the difficulty level.

I tried playing the first release of DMC3 and was completely put off by the absurd challenge
present. I know that Scott said it
wasn’t very much different from any other action game, but I would have to
strongly disagree. I don’t mind some difficulty, but I’m also not in the market
for a stress anxiety disorder. I thought
that Capcom was crazy for some of the choices they made, but everything I
didn’t like the first time around has been completely rectified.

With the simple inclusion of mid-mission checkpoints that
should have been there in the first place, almost all of my frustration was
completely eliminated. Besides that, the
Easy difficulty is now even easier than it was before (for those who want it)
and the new Gold Orb restart system lets players continue the battle exactly
where they died. Since all of these changes are optional, the same level of
challenge is there for players who crave it, but it’s only a good thing to have
more options. I can’t stress enough what a significant improvement in design
and accessibility these new changes are, so huge kudos to Capcom for that.

Now that my thumbs and blood pressure can finally take a
break, it was a lot easier to appreciate the things that Dante’s Awakening brings to the table. The variety in weapons is
excellent, and Dante has butter-smooth animation to bring his ferocious attacks
to life. Like I said earlier, this game is one rare example where “how I do it”
actually takes precedence over what I’m doing. Switching on-the-fly from whirling
nunchuks to sparking pistols to flaming uppercuts and finishing a group of
reapers with a french kiss from a rocket launcher is entertaining enough on its
own to make up for the simplistic goals of each level, although I must say I am
a bit surprised to admit it.

Impossibly, the
cutscenes are even more over-the-top than the action, and while I don’t usually
appreciate this sort of Goes-To-Eleven approach to videogame virility, I have
to disagree with Scott and say that it works here. Similarly, I thought that
the game’s attitude towards characterization and storytelling were equally
effective-- neither will win any awards or stand out as an example of excellence
in writing, but there is a strange release in experiencing something rabidly,
offensively gonzo and being okay with it.

Devil May Cry 3:
Dante’s Awakening still has some issues.
Regardless of the difficulty, I don’t think I will ever be a fan of
going back and repeating stages for the sake of collecting upgrade points, and
the developers should invest in a copy of God
of War to learn a few things about good camera placement. However, I can’t deny that DMC3 is a runaway freight train crashing
through the walls of moderation with a load of nitroglycerin and testosterone
in tow. And besides, I thought that purple bat-shooting hooker-guitar was
pretty cool.